The Real Deal
So at this point most of you are wondering what exactly is going on.
First off it was a great weekend all the conditions were perfect and it was nice to be at a different venue than all the same locations in the pervious year.
The NPPL put on a great event and I accredit them for it.
So let me jump back 8 days, last weekend we had a fantastic practice against Impact.
At least that’s what I heard; unfortunately Brandon Short and myself had to miss it to attend a charity event in Portugal. The response I got from my team was Impact was a straight up team with a good group of guys. No arguments, no fights nothing all weekend, just a good grind.
So I return to hear that we played really well against them, and the kids on our team were really starting to get that confidence you need to be successful in the pro division.
Since the beginning of the year I have known that Impact was the team to watch out for, and practicing them was going to be a great learning experience.
Short and myself showed up to 7 guys who had been playing great together, so we were going to have to do a 9-man rotation. I never really like that before but it’s the best way when your team and your guys are playing so well.
We cruised through the prelims only losing one game to Image where Chris was just having a clinic. We went into the quarterfinals in 1st place being 5 and 2, and again advancing into the semi finals 1st seed. We faced Image who was playing great, but we were revved up and beat them in two games.
At the same time impact did the same against Hurricanes.
Needless to say it was going to be a match up against the team we were playing one week ago today at practice.
I felt that is was deserved, because besides us they were the next best team. I am a firm believer of winning an event and playing the best team in the finals not some chump team that got lucky.
Impact was exactly that team. We went out the first game and lost, but being in this position many times before I knew it was fare from over.
We switch sides and went into the second game, only to stalemate. Now in my book there was nothing to out of the normal about how this game went, last 20 seconds of a game people play to win. We went into them 5 on 2 and we almost pulled it off, but the buzzer rang and the game was over. We left the field and started to get ready for the 3 and final game to see if we could win and advance on to a one on one shoot out.
I go to enter the field and I see a band of refs and the captain of Impact Josh Davey having a discussion. I was told it was because I didn’t sign the previous games score sheet. Little did I know they were conspiring on a penalty to be pulled on us there for giving Impact the win on an infraction against us? I was shocked and appalled! This game was nothing like the Joy Dynasty in OC, it was completely standard.
The stories were mixed up and we didn’t get to speak our peace before their decision was made. I lost it! This is not why we came to Kansas, this was not why we practice and put our blood sweat and tears into getting this far and it being taken away from us on a technicality.
We fought and fought, told our side of the story and the 3rd game was on the way.
Impact was shocked of course thinking they had already won, but they are competitors and their first place victory would be tainted if it were given to them like that.
We walked onto the field like true sportsmen for the 3rd game.
We were fired up and ready for the game. We went out all cylinders firing and beat them the third game. After that we were getting ready for the one on one challenge.
Trust me we practice one on ones every weekend, we have many tournaments and I win most of themJ, although Marcello did beat me in the finals last practice.
Anyways so we start loading up when Bart the owner of Impact ask Shane and I to come have a meeting with us.
We walked out of the stadium and I could tell he was extremely upset, which is only normal for being a team owner and dealing with the insanities of paintball.
It had been a long weekend and this had just added to it. Everyone was beat down, the refs, the spectators, and they. He came to us and said, that his guys were down after that game. All those highs and lows really drain you and they just were not up to play us in 1 on 1’s or a straight 7 on 7 after that whole or deal. Now if Impact was a slime ball team like the other 50% of teams out there I would have said no FU and lets play.
But since I as well as the rest of my team have utmost respect for those guys especially after the good practice we had with them we gave them all the respect they deserved. Bart the owner who is a stand up guy asked up if we were willing to just split everything down the middle and call it a draw. At first I thought there would be no possible way they would go for that and it had never been done before in the history of paintball.
The more I saw the look of seriousness on his face and I thought it would be possible.
Now the Ironmen is a new team as all you know and we are taking this lesson of paintball on step at a time, win or lose we want to play as a unit. We told ourselves at the beginning of the year that we were going to focus more on Xball and take seven man as a learning process to make this team the next best thing.
After this weekend we played so strong and proved it to everyone, I had felt we won the tournament yesterday knocking Dynasty out, which you all know is the best 7-man team out there now and in the past. It was a big game and my guys handled it. We were playing strong all weekend and the decision that the refs made was an unjust ruling and was not how we wanted to end such a great weekend and of course not how the crowd wanted to see it end. When we discussed it with them both Shane and I thought it was a fare and legitimate way of ending it. Of course all the kids wanted to play 1 on 1 but it was the right thing to do. We are both to extremely young teams with a lot to learn we have plenty of room to excel and win more events but how everything went down it was the proper way for two teams that both deserved it. If Impact had not been such a stand up team and a good group of guys we would never have come to this agreement.
I figure for the sport and the future of paintball with to competitive teams this is how it should be done. Of course the crowd hated it because they sat around for two hours but truly we compromised and the staff at the NPPL agreed with our decision.
So we are officially winners, but then so is Impact.
But all I can think about is winning world cup and I know after this weekend the way my team played I feel pretty dam good about it. We have 3 practices and they will be tough but if we can win the world cup and the over all series, I think everyone will know who the best team in the world is. Then we can cruise into San Diego and meet Impact again hopefully in the finals.
Take care all.
Your friend
Ollie
